Flexible pipe-joint.



A. G. ELVIN. FLEXIBLE PIPE JOINT. APPLICATION FILED 111125, 1908.

Patented Jan. 11, 1910.

WITNESSES yak, 5%

' socket, and abuts against said recess, and an outer wear gasket, 6, of

, in position in nnrrnn STATEEs ra'rnnr oration.-

ALBERT G. ELVIN, OF FRANKLIN, PENNSYLVANIA. v

FLEXIBLE PIPE-JOINT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT G. ELVIN, of Franklin, in the county of Venango and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a cer: tain new and useful Improvement in Flexible Pipe-Joints, of which improvement the following is a specification.

My invention relates to joints for the con-- nection of sections of pipes with the capacity of relative movement without leakage of fluid, and its object is to provide a oint of such type in which both tightness and flexibility shall be assured, the life'of the packing gasket prolonged, and the action of the tightening spring more effectively exerted than heretofore. v

.The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section through a flexible pipe joint embodying'my invention; Fig. 2, a similar section showing modifications of structural detail; Fig. 3,an end view of the joint of Fig. 1, as seen from the left, and; Fig. 4, a view, in .elevation, of the balj1 member of Fig. 2, as seen from the ri t.

in the practice of my-invention, I provide a ball or internal member, 1, which is internally threaded at one end for connection to a pipe section, 2, and a socket or external member, 3, having an internally threaded nozzle, 3, at its end farther front the ball member, for. connection to a pipe section, 4. The opposite end of the socket 'is entirely open, and is recessed'cylindrically to receive an inner packing gasket, 5, of the material usually employed, as composition or rubber, which fits t'ruly between the periphery of the ball and the-bore of the recess of the soft material, which similarly fits between the ball and the bore of therecess, atand adjoining the outer end of the latter, and abuts against the packing gasket. The ball and the packing and wear gaskets are held the socketby a nut, 7 engaging an external thread on the socket, and having\ an inwardly extending annular flange, 7, abutting against the outer side 'of the wear gasket, 6. The nut, 7, is locked imposition after being screwed up to a proper bearing, by a split pin or cotter, 8, passing through ahole in one of a set of the inner end of 7', on the nut, and throu h peripheral lugs,

3 on t e one of a set of holes in a flange, socket. V

The ball, 1, is pressed up to the packing and wear gaskets, 5 and 6, with sufficient force to prevent leakage of fluid between its outer surface and said gaskets, and to prevent lost motion and rattling when there is Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan; 11 1910, Application filed June 5, 1998. Serial No. 436,820.

no pressure within the joint, and when the apparatus in whichthe jointis applied is subjected to shocks and jars, as in the case of locomotives, by a conical spiral spring, 9, which it abuts, at its larger end, on a seat in the socket, 3, and, at its opposite end, is pivoted centrally to a spider or skeletontrame, '1. extending across the ball., As shown in Figs 1, the smaller end of the spring abuts against a collar on a spherical faced pivot,

9, fitting in a corresponding central recess in the spider, 1, and, in Fig. 3, it is shown as encircling a central pivot 1", formed integral with the spider.

The ball of Fig. ljs provided with a projecting internally threaded nozzle, 1, similar to the nozzle, 3". of the socket, for the attachment of the pipe section, 2, while in Fig. 2, this extension or outwardly projecting nozzle is dispensed with, and an inwardly projectin and internallythreaded hub, 1, is forme on the ball, for engagement with the pipe section, thereby rendering the appliance more compact and permittin a greater range of movement of ,the. bal and, consequently, greater flexibility of the joint. I i r It will be seen by those familiar with joints of the general type to which my invention relates, that the soft metal wear ring will, soon after application, wear to an absolutely tight joint with the ball, and will relieve the excessive wear upon the packing asket which has always been a material obectionin this class of'joints. The resultant advantage in prolonging the life of the pack- -ing gasket and preventing leakage will readily appear. A provement consists in the centrally pivoted spring, by which a more uniform distribution of pressure over the entire gasket is effected than is practicable in the ordinary. constructions. Y

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a flexible pipe joint, the combination of a ball member, a socket member free of said ball member and having a recess, each the ball at its opposite end.

2. In a flexible pipe joint, thecombination of a ball member, a socket member free of said ball member and having a recess, one of said members having an internally projecting threaded hub and the other being internally threaded for connection to a section of pipe, a packing gasket fitting between the recess in thesocket and the periphery of the wall, an outer Wear gasket, of soft metal, similarly fitting and adjoining the outer side of the packing gasket and contacting with said ball member, and a conical spring abutting, at its larger end, on the wall of the socket, and, at the other, in the center of the ball.

3. In a flexible pipe joint, the combination of a ball member, a socket member free of said ball member and having a recess, each of said members being fitted for connection to a section pipe, a packing gasket fitting between the recess in the socket and the periphcry of the ball, an outer Wear gasket, of soft metal, similarly fitting and adjoining the outer side of the packing gasket and contacting With said ball member, a conical spring,

abutting, at one end, on the wall of the socket, and, at the other, on the ball, a nut engaging an external thread on the socket and bearing on the outer side of the gasket,

and a locking a plurality 0 holes in the socket and through a hole in the nut.

ALBERT G.- ELVIN.

Witnesses: i I

WM. T. LANE, B. A. KRENZ.

cotter passing through one of 

